1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a telescopic post for a folding structure, capable of passing from a raised deployed position of said structure to a folded position, and vice versa, said post including a lower element sliding inside an upper element integral with said structure, said lower element resting on the ground in its lower part forming a base.
This invention falls into the field of knockdown or folding structures designed to be used as a shelter.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Such a shelter is generally formed of a metallic structure covered at least in its upper part by a covering element forming a roof. This shelter is, mostly, in its deployed position, in the form of a tent having the shape of a cube surmounted by a pyramid.
This type of shelter is designed for a specific use, as a stand or similar, over a determined period of time, requiring then an assembly and a dismantlement both simple and quick. This is why the existing shelters have been designed unfolding, passing from a folded configuration, for their transportation and their storage, to a deployed position, or vice versa. This possibility to fold and unfold the shelter greatly facilitates its assembly in comparison with shelters including a structure formed of side members, rods or bars that are removable and made integral with each other by fastening elements.
A folding shelter includes a structure generally formed of side members made of a metallic material, for example profile bars made of aluminum or of aluminum compound. Said side members are articulated between each other so as to allow the passage of said shelter from one folded position to a deployed configuration, or vice versa.
In addition, the covering element is secured to said structure so that the folding or the unfolding of the shelter does not require the removal of said covering element. For this purpose, the latter is made in the form of a tarpaulin made of plastic—flexible and watertight—fixed to said structure.
However, existing folding shelters are limited in size because of the load-bearing capacity of the structure and the weight that the articulated side members support, as well as the total mass of the structure. Existing shelters generally have a maximum surface of 3×3 meters on the ground. For more significant surfaces, one should then recur to classical knockdown shelters.
In addition, the structure of existing shelters includes, at each of its corners, vertical telescopic posts so as to, in one direction, raise said structure and the covering means in the deployed position and, in the other direction, permit the lowering of the structure so as to make it more compact in the folded position. Each vertical post includes a lower element resting on the ground through a base and sliding inside an upper element integral with said structure. For this reason, the lower element is of a smaller cross-section than the upper element, posing in particular problems regarding the rigidity of the whole.
Another disadvantage resides in the movement of said shelter during its assembly, in particular after the unfolding of the structure but before raising. Casters—removable or not—are generally placed under the base of a post for positioning the whole according to preferences. Once the shelter positioned, it is necessary to withdraw or retract said casters, involving lifting the weight of the entire structure.